Mill Valley home 'pretty much destroyed' by inferno

The blazing scene that confronted Mill Valley firefighters at 3 a.m. Friday was a nightmare.

Flames were bursting from three sides of the two-story home on Bolsa Avenue, the hillside was burning, a utility pole and automobile were on fire, and the stairway leading to the home was in flames.

Because the elderly resident who lived at 175 Bolsa Ave. had fled to safety, firefighters promptly took up stations on two sides of the flaming structure, pumped water furiously and had it out within the hour.

"It was hellish, but that's what we do," said Mill Valley fire Chief Jeff Davidson. "These are the challenging conditions firefighters have to deal with."

The residence was "pretty much destroyed," the chief said.

Mill Valley crews, backed up by firefighters from the county, Tiburon, Southern Marin, Larkspur and Corte Madera, faced a home fully engulfed in flames and burning vegetation on a hillside in an older subdivision in the woodland area above City Hall.

"It was burning pretty good," the chief said. "It took very aggressive work. ... We got on either side of the house and knocked the fire down," Davidson said. "We put lots of water on it."

One firefighter was checked at the scene after becoming overheated, but did not require treatment.

Crews remained at the scene hours later for mop-up work. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation.